by Marc Hill (Coach to Cushla Hume-Merry, NZL, pictured above)
What a day!
Cushla had to be able to drop a 6th and Gabrielle King (AUS) had to get two 1sts to win the Championships.
Racing was in moderate wind, 12-14 knots, oscillating steadily plus/minus 10 degrees, with a bit of a set from the previous day.
Gabrielle took it to the fleet and made it two firsts, sailing assertively, building a big lead on the first downwind leg in race one and never being challenged. Cushla finished 6th, which was a position that unfortunately needed to be dropped.
The second race took place in similar conditions. Gabrielle first to the top mark again, on a shortened 0.8 mile beat, and steadily consolidated her lead over Cushla. The next group of Sarah Gunni (DEN), Annalise Murphy (IRL), who was going much better towards end of series, Mathilde de Kerangat (FRA), who had an excellent
start and first beat in race 7, and the leading British sailor, Chloe Martin, stayed together and were steadily drawing away from the rest of the fleet.
Cushla ended up on equal points with Gabrielle, who won the series on the tie breaker.
The championships saw excellent racing and much was learnt. The top half dozen sailors are certainly ones to watch out for in future.
Cushla Hume-Merry
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